


A virus leads me to you.

by SassyCassie1401



Series: I hear you loud and Clear but who will protect me. [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-18 06:16:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2338169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassyCassie1401/pseuds/SassyCassie1401
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What ever happened the Melinda May clones ? how were they created? - Shield intends to find out as they do no know the ramifications of numerous genetic mutations. Phil is exercising is mental muscles seeing jut how far his psychic abilities will go but what does Skye have to do with all of this ? just how close to the center of this is she?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you SammyAnne24 ( Lady_Jayde_Une ) you're an angel giving up your time to beta this for me. 
> 
> TeamPhilinda for the inspiration and the confidence to write things and post them, don't know where i would be without them <3

He opened his eyes and saw the blood on his hands but he knew that it didn’t belong to him, he started crawling around the room the blackness enveloping him like open arms, but still he couldn’t find the switch to illuminate the room once more.

“Phil….”

He heard the voice and focused tuning his other senses to work as one and find out where she was.

“Phil...” 

Now there was more then one voice and this made him stop right where he was, he could hear them around him. They were taunting him knowing that he was in the same room and practically within reach but he couldn’t see.

“Phil.”

Now he was starting to panic, he knew that this wasn’t normal and as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent he should not be panicking, but as he told all of his students “Courage is not the master of fear, but the mastery of it.” Right now he didn’t feel like the master, but knew that he had to keep going.

He felt around the room and knew that the voices were taunting him, his fear; he felt his hands touch the wall flicking the switch to illuminate the room. His heart dropped through the floor when he saw what was making its way towards him, he looked around the room and saw hundreds of Melinda May’s. Each one bloodied disfigured and heart broken attempting to finish the job that Garrett could not have finished before. They had a variety of weapons from the gun in her hand, to the knife sticking out of her leg courtesy of Garrett himself. 

“Phil are you going to help?  Do you like seeing me hurt…?” One had walked in front of him pulling the knife out of her leg and raised it above her head to strike Phil Coulson down.

“Phil, you there? Phil, Phil…!”

A hand touched his shoulder and he shot up out of the seat and turned to see the real Melinda May, looking at him with concern and worry written across her face. 

“Hey handsome, you ok? You were miles away. Would I like it there?”

He put his hands around her waist and pulled her too him closing the gap so that not even air would be able to get in between to the two heated bodies, he turned his head into the crook of her neck and stood there. Time at that moment had no meaning for those two, just holding on and reminding themselves that they had made this, he inhaled and smelt the fragrance, that heavenly scent that would soothe his soul like balm to a burn.

He started to pet her neck, licking her pulse point and feeling the tremor running down her back, he put his hands on her butt and pulled her closer. 

“Hey Phil, not that I mind what you’re doing, but what has brought this on?” 

She tilted his face up and looked into his eyes, the raw emotion that was written across his face made her heart drop. She could see the fear, angst , worry and love all in his eyes directed at her as though she was the only thing that mattered. She saw his eye start to brim with tears and she now understood what he was trying to convey, it had only been a week since they had rescued him from the underground lab, from Garrett. 

She is guessing that everything was still fresh in his mind including the knife sticking out of her leg as this is the place that Coulson keeps placing his hand and rubbing delicate circles.

“Hey, hey, look at me baby…” He kept his eyes down to the floor and would not look back.

“Look at me…please.” The pleading tone her voice had taken gave him no option but to look at her. 

He could see the love, worry but care written across the beautiful brown eyes that was his love, he knew they were safe but he could not shake last week seeing her bloodied with the knife in her leg. They might as well have put the knife in his heart because every time someone hurts her they attack a piece of him and he knew there was nothing that he would not do to ensure here safety he just needed to be sure she was here.

“Phil I am here, you are here and we are safe and unless Garrett knows how to get up with a snapped neck and broken ribs he won’t be bothering us anymore. We are here with S.H.I.E.L.D. they have been weeded out and we maybe small but we will rise again I know it but you have to believe me that I am here.” She put her hands on his face and pulled him towards her pressing her lips to his and letting her tongue dance the way into his mouth. She heard a moan rise from his chest and knew that he was beginning to forget and was returning to the here and now, she could feel his fingers flexing against her hips but the left was being delicate as it was travelling down to grab her behind the knee. 

He grab her hand and pulled her into the bedroom, he twirled her around and pulled her back flush against his body letting her know exactly how he felt or at least his bodily response felt. 

The dancing was so unlike Phil, but May knew that they needed to act a little wild and carefree as there had been so much stress and heartache, it was nice to just be wild and free. He kissed her again pouring all the love and devotion that he could and ensuring that she understood she was his world and he was going to show her.

He shoved her down onto the bed and prowled his way up her body and eliciting the dirtiest, but sexiest noises with her chest raising with shallow breaths, he breasts attempting to break free, for which Coulson had every intention of helping them. He raised her arms above her head and ripped her vest in half and dropped both pieces from his head.

“Phil!” She looked at him pretending to be annoyed but the dilation of her purples, her gyrating hips grinding against his own noticeable arousal and the licking of her lips clearly conveyed a different message to Phil Coulson. 

He dropped his head down to her perky breast and this is how he knew that heaven was a place on earth, because right now at this moment, he was there and no one was going to ruin or disturb it.

He knew that they needed to start looking into the cloning of Melinda May, find out how it was done? Were there more? Just how far they have gone to programming the personality traits of these clones?

But right now he had something far more important to do and that was to make love to the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

She laid there with a halo of black hair around her, swollen lips, dilated eyes and the sweetest body that he was thoroughly enjoying. He felt guilty, years back as he thought it was unrequited love but now it has been retuned he was going to have all he could. 

He was crawling down her body kissing, licking and nipping along the way he looked up and saw her staring down at him but not a single word was spoken. 

He was just about to dip is head when he heard…

“Agent Coulson, please come to my office as soon as you can.” Fury ended the communication.

May looked like she was going to get up when she was forcefully pushed back down on the bed, “Where do you think you’re going?” Phil queried.

“You’ve been summoned?” 

He returned to his original position first, “He will have to wait. I am hard at work making love to a beautiful woman.”  He dipped his head down between her thighs and proceeded to do just that and even if Fury walked through the door he would have to wait, cause right now he and May were busy having some much needed quality time.


	2. The good, the bad and the downright ludicrous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With fury ready to move forward , just what does he have in store for the dream team? what is with the artifact?

Thirty minutes later a very flushed  but happy looking Phil Coulson approached the door to Fury’s office, he knew he would be pissed that he had delayed coming down but he had a little chance of happiness with Melinda May and neither he nor the world would stop him.

***knock knock knock***

“I won’t bother to ask what took you so long, cause I have a feeling I already know. I am happy for you but if you think about being late again, I will shove an I.C.E.r gun up your ass.”

Coulson was laughing inside but he knew not to let it show his face, cause he knew that Nick Fury wouldn’t hesitate to follow through on his words. 

“So Director, what do you need from me?” Phil thought he would stretch is mental muscles again and have a go at reading peoples minds, he was looking at Fury waiting.

***How do I tell Coulson we need them to on a black op? Can he still read minds? Is he reading mine?  What if….***

He never got chance to hear that last of the thought, “Phil, if you’re reading my mind the same rule as before applies. Christmas is just around the corner and I need something for the three on the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, you’re looking good, round about now.” Nick looked at him over the top of his specially made glasses and Phil knew that all joking was set aside.

“Now three reasons I called you here. One a black ops that include the entirety of your team, two your psychic abilities and finally the research we need to start on May and her army.”

That was something that caught his attention because he wondered how long that would be able to ignore the facts before they came crashing down, a week that was his answer and now he was being made to face the world.

“Someone has an artefact that has the ability to alter the genetic make up of the person who is wearing it. Now normally that would not cause us a problem as we have registered every artefact but it is working now on humans with genetic mutations that the human race has not seen. So either people are going to start asking questions or investigating into things that S.H.I.E.L.D. would really rather be left alone. So we need you and your team to go and get the artefact but for the love of god, please do not touch the thing and watch out for the heat sensor guns surround the camp.”

Phil gave him an ‘Are you kidding me look’.

“It’s not even a week and your sending a team that is not at full strength to go in and obtain something that could essentially screw with our whole being. Nick they’re kids…”

“You and May aren’t?” He raised his eyebrow at him and his lips thinned, he knew what they had been through and yet he was still pressing them to do this stupid op when there were other operatives who could go, but why was he so intent on it being them?

“Look there is one operative I still dont trust and I think they are up to something, I couldn’t associate him with Hydra but I don’ think that he is pure S.H.I.E.L.D. and if I sent him on the job without anything watching him, then the artefact may not come back to S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Phil had a feeling that he was not being told the full story but if Fury wanted them to go then they had no choice but to go, “What else do we need to do, sir?”

“Well, next week, I need you to go down the lab and test you psychic powers and no before you give me that look it is all at your leisure. There is nothing that we will do that if you are not comfortable with. We want to see how far it can go and is there potential to unlock it without harming you. If harm we think harm will come to you then the whole thing will be stopped immediately and you can have my word on that.”

Phil looked at him, “Its something I am going to discuss with May first, she is more that just a friend now and anything that I do will affect her. I have only just been offered the protection of S.H.I.E.L.D. so can you please forgive me if I am not racing down there with May skipping behind me. I have gone from Agent to Fugitive back to Agent again in a few months.”

“I know but you have already seen the changes that I have made and the people that I have disposed of.” He used the quotation expression with his hands at the mention of ‘disposed’. “It’s not the same S.H.I.E.L.D. as before, I told you before ‘The people I can trust, I can count one hand and I am not afraid to cut off fingers.’” Phil knew why he was saying that and he knew that he and fury were the same, trust was a rare thing for either of them.

He knew that May would’ve to go down the lab too, they needed to figure out the sting behind the DNA and the army that was waiting form them down in the bunker. 

“Has May decided what to do with her doubles yet?”

“Nick why would Melinda want anything to do with them, we need to work out how the hell someone has managed to replicate her to the dot?”

“What you mean, Phil?”

“Well, Melinda has certain marks and I--”

“I don’t want you to finish that sentence regarding the mark Phil, but I totally agree we need to see how far they have got when the personality adaptations too. I love May don’t get me wrong, Phil, but an army of them? Jesus, not much would have me handing in my resignation but I had enough problems controlling just you two can you imagine if there were hundreds…?”

Phil smirked and went to walk out of the office door, he knew that he needed to discuss this mission with May because she was not going to be happy at all and would take some serious persuading to do it.


	3. The proposal that disturbs her feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May does not react well to being told that they have to go on a mission but she is left speechless by Phil Coulson and his words.

When he returned he was surprised to see the entire group sitting in his living area, no one noticing that the actual occupier of the room was here and he was listening.

“Is he ok? Has he been sleeping well?” Skye ever the concerned one was asking the questions that the young scientists would not. She hadn’t had S.H.I.E.L.D. rules and regulations drilled into them and knew that even she’d had, she wouldn’t care. 

May looked at her and was so proud of what she had become, when she first came onto the Bus, she was a snot nosed brat who thought in black and white, not realising that for various reasons, there are shades of grey. Skye now knew this and it helped her accept the reason why she was not told about her 0-8-4 status.

“He can look after himself and yes HE is ok, but HE would appreciate if you came and ask HIM and not go running to Melinda May just because she shares my heart.” He placed emphasis on the ‘he’s’ and the ‘him’s’ ensuring that they understood he hadn’t lost his faculties and he was just healing. 

They all whipped their heads around and had the decency to look chastised and suddenly something on the floor looked extremely interesting.

“AC we were just concerned about you, we care about you and know that you and May have been through a lot. We want you both to know that we’re here and just because we are level 1 and 5’s doesn’t mean that we can’t be here for each other, as a family.”

Coulson looked at her and felt his anger and fear drift away when he realised that they were not trying to get rid of him, just help and be there for him. He had been betrayed a few times in his life and Garrett and Ward were the latest duo, so he prevented many from getting close. 

“I am having a few nightmares but it is not preventing me from doing my job. Speaking of job we need to gather round, cause I have some news that some of you will not like.” 

May levelled her eyes at him knowing full well that she would be the one that wouldn’t like what he had to say, “Phhhiiiiillll.” This was drawn out giving Phil a clear indication that she was wary of what he was about to say and was walking on thin ice.

“I have just been to see Director Fury and we’re going on a mission, we leave--”

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” May jumped up, anger written across her face as she was positively foaming at the mouth, “ANOTHER FUCKING MISSION? YOU HAVEN’T BEEN SIGNED OFF! YOUR INJURIES HAVEN’T HEALED! YOU WAIT HERE, I AM OFF TO SEE FURY AND SHOW HIM EXACTLY HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS!” May set off at neck break speed and Coulson knew that if he didn’t do something to stop her, she would be in the freezer and they would be picking up parts of Fury from around his office. 

He is good but very little can stop the force that is Melinda May especially when she is on the warpath. 

He raced after her and into the other room, she had just reached the door with her hand on the knob when she felt a pair of hands on her hips and swung her around and pressed her to the door with the hottest set of lips attached to a sexy Phil Coulson. 

“You do know that this can’t always be your answer to things, not that I don’t enjoy it, but it would make meeting a whole more awkward with management in the room.”

“A guy has to try anything when his fiancée is on a rampage.”

As soon as the word left his mouth his stomach dropped, his eyes shot up to meet hers and waited with baited breath for her to kick HIS ass and not Fury’s. 

She glided her hands up his arms and round his neck; her fingers splayed out on his skull and shoved his face towards her. He was holding his breath not knowing if she was going to kick his ass or not, but felt a force drawing him like a magnet towards Melinda May. He felt the hot, luscious lips the breath fanning his face and he opens his eyes just to hear the words, “Yes, I will marry you.” 

No sooner had the words left her lips she was hoisted up in the air, hands on her backside and she was shoved against the door, the confrontation hearing up in a matter of seconds.  

“Eh guys, not that we are not very happy for you, but can you please find a room.” May slid to the floor and they both turned to see all three younger agents staring, mouths wide open, but love in theirs eyes.

“Eh, lets go into the other room and discuss what I was trying to say before--”

“--You were rudely interrupted!” Skye had a grin six foot wide as they turned around and went back into the living room.

They followed but Phil was tugged back, “We will finish this later.” She pecked him on the lips and sauntered past him, hips swaying and hypnotising the sultry eyes of Phil Coulson. 

They finally managed to get back around the living room table, “So Phil, what do you have for us?” Skye is testing the waters, cause she knows that Phil isn’t with it and she can guess why; smirking to herself she waits for the answers.

“There is a weapon that has now come onto the S.H.I.E.L.D.’s radar and we get a feeling it is going into the wrong hands, so we are being sent in to go and retrieve it. We have to be careful though, it has unique properties, shall we say that could leave the likes of me vulnerable to Injury.” Phil looked around but would not meet May nor Skye’s eyes, he knew what he’d see.

“Sir, what do you mean?” Jemma enquired and looked where others feared to stare.

“It has genetic altering properties but we do not know if they’re good or bad and that is why you and Fitz are also coming along, so you can attempt to ascertain its origins before any of us touch it. It could change my heart tissue? Or change any of you but I don’t know which way the tide will turn.” 

May’s face was growing darker by the second and was just about to say something when she heard.

“What about me?” Everyone turned their heads to look at Skye.

“What do you mean, Skye?” May looked at her, an instinct kicking that she hadn’t felt for years but the pull towards Skye was strong, she had this overwhelming need to protect, that felt stronger then normal, but why? This was something she would have to seriously look at when she was alone.

“I mean, I know I don’t have a top of the range heart like AC, but I have been injected with Aliens blood and I am an 0-8-4, what happens if I touch…?”

“You will NOT touch it!” It came out sharp and direct, making Skye jump and Melinda May look shocked at her own behaviour.

“No one will touch this thing until I have touched it first, alright! If anyone had a problem they can see me on the mats in the gym. I will be more then happy to be more physical with my opinion.” With that she walked out of the room with three stunned faces in her wake. Looking at each other, as if to ask ‘What the hell was that about?’

She was not ready to deal with this, she was going to beat the pulp out of the punch bag or someone if they dared to follow but she knew Phil was going to want answers from her.


	4. a slip up and a mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil will find out what May is hiding? but how close to the truth is she ?

Chapter 4

May’s outburst had shocked him to the core, he had no idea why she would have such an outburst, I mean yes, she would say not to touch it, but to actually shout was another matter and he intended to find out.

He descended the stairs where the grunts and groans could be heard but simultaneously the sound of punches against a solid surface could be heard and he was not relishing this conversation. That didn’t stop the determination being written across his face, he was going to get answers one way or the other.

He walked through the door and stood just inside the doorway watching May unleash a monumental amount of force on the punch bag but that was not the only thing that he was thinking. Some thoughts were not the wholly appropriate; as he saw the sweat sheen her body making it glow in the light. He wanted to follow the droplets running down her neck with his tongue and under any other circumstances he would do so, but before he went on this mission, he intended to find out.

“Melinda.” 

Punching and grunting was the only answer that he received. He knew that his next move would be stupid but he knew he needed her attention. 

She drew her hand back ready to unleash another set of punches on the bag, but before her first punch could connect Phil Coulson’s face came into her line of vision and just before it would connect with his nose she stopped.

She felt him exhale and his breath travel over her knuckles, a shudder rushing down her spine but the anger burst through first.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE DOING, PHIL? I COULD HAVE BROKEN YOUR NOSE? DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE CLEVER? WHAT THE F--!” Phil stood there and he so desperately wanted to kiss her but knew that it was more than his teeth were worth right now.

“Right May, now you’ve stopped and you can hear me, we are going to sit down and talk.”

May knew that it was not worth the argument because she knew that Phil was like her and once he had that bone he was not going to let go. She walked across to the bench sat down and grabbed her water and gulped several parts down. 

He watched her throat as she swallowed the water and released the breath he wasn’t aware that he was holding, yet again another inappropriate thought entered his head and it took all his willpower not to shove her down and have his way with her in the middle of the gym area.

“So Melinda, would you care to explain the outburst upstairs or are we going to sit here in silence?” He just looked at her and he knew that she would talk but he just had to wait.

“Phil, I’ve only just got you back and now you want us to go into some god forsaken place where there is a potential weapon that could destroy your heart. We don’t know what it does? You’re taking the risk because I know that you would go and touch it first. What would happen if it dropped you to the ground…?”

Phil was just about to interrupt but May cut him off.

“Phil please, please don’t go on the mission, let us go instead…”

Her tears started flowing down her face and his heart grew and broke in equal measures, he was the luckiest man on earth to have such a sexual lioness protecting his heart. It also broke because he hated hurting her and knew what would happen to her should he fall during this mission but something else was amiss.

“What about Skye?”

Her head shot up to look him straight in the face, he could see her eyes were puffy, tear tracks ran down her face and her lips were trembling but to him she was still beautiful.

“What do you mean?” 

“Come on Melinda, you know I wasn’t born yesterday and as soon as Skye said she would try to touch it you practically flew at her. Why? I have got a level one field agent that is upstairs heartbroken because of your reaction to her wanting to help us. I have known you for years, decades even, I don’t know why you’re acting like this so I need you to tell me.”

She looked at him and knew that she wouldn’t be released until she told him the truth, but what would he say? Would he think her mad or fanciful?

“She’s our baby...” May said softly.

Phil looked at her, his breath stuck in his lungs but he willed her to continue and explain just what that meant.

“She’s the youngest of the group and has had no one. No one to have her back, or fight her corner, or even prove to her that she is worth something. Just because she had some Alien DNA pumped into her to save her life she is going to throw it all away by touching some Alien thing that could kill her. I am supposed to be their ‘stand-in mother’, what kind ‘mother’, ‘stand-in’ or otherwise would I be if I let one of our ‘kids’ touch that thing and potentially die? Please Phil, you can come with, but please let me touch this object not any of them. I was able to control the berserker last time, please Phil, trust me.”

Phil pulled her into a crushing bear hug and made her feel every ounce of love that he had for her in that embrace, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was his queen and as soon as they got back she would be his wife. 

This thing with Skye still didn’t seem to add up, but for now, she had given him something close to explanation and that would suffice until they returned.

“When do we leave?” She mumbles against his neck and he smiles.

“Two days.” He waited and just as he thought her head shot up and she looked him dead in the eye, he thought she was going to smack him in the face but she did the entire opposite.

She kissed him on the lips and shoved him down on the bench, pouring every ounce of energy and love into this kiss knowing that potentially it could be their last.

“Go and get the cubs, I need to whip them into shape.”

At the sound of that Coulson groaned, “Oh and I don’t need to be a psychic to know what you were thinking.” She went back to the mats and mouthed ‘later’ to him and he knew that if he didn’t get out of there soon, no one would be going on that mission.

He set off in search of the others and told them to get their gym gear because May was waiting for them, they too groaned but for completely different reasons as they knew the amount of pain they were going to suffer after a gym session with May.


	5. The work out and the bust up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May decides that they need training session and the taskmaster goes to work. Skye keeps pushing regarding the staff but why is May being so over protective?

He opened the door to find three bodies sprawled on the floor and Skye looked up at him and had a smirk on her face. “Hey AC, heard that you were looking for us? Well here we are?”

Before Coulson even had a chance to respond, “Get your gym gear on, you and me are going to spar.”

Fitz looked positively petrified at the thought of going against May, the look from her alone could drop him but if she hit him he would fold like a newspaper.

Coulson looked at them all and knew that he needed to get the ice packs ready in about an hour, cause they would sure need them after the workout that they’re going to be put through. Now he needed to plan how the hell they were going to get into the hanger to get the staff without actually touching anything, he did promise May that he would try and not touch it.

He was sat in his office looking at the blueprints figuring out the best way to get in, he needed Skye to be on the outside with the technology and hopefully Fitz’s new drones; Huey, Duey and Louie will be able to surround the compound giving her clear access should anybody attempting to enter. He knew that May would be able to clear the fence no worries but she only had ten seconds to disconnect the CCTV before anyone was alerted.

His door burst open and before any of the three hobbling individuals could say anything he held out the ice packs which they took with such gratitude you would have thought it was oxygen itself.

“Went well?” he looked up and Fitz had his head in Simmons lap, Simmons had her feet up on the table whilst Skye was laid on the floor, groans and moans coming from all three. May walked in five minutes after and this caused Coulson to look up and stop breathing, she was still in her gym gear with a towel around her neck and sweat glistening her body. She turned to look at him and didn’t need to be a psychic to know the thoughts that were going through his mind.

“I am off for a shower, you guys seriously need to man up…”

“May, are you serious? You beat the crap out of us and bent us into positions I am sure the Karma Sutra hasn’t seen. We are breaking into a compound not joining the circus, poor Fitz is nearly out cold.”

“That was the easy mode.”

At this point Coulson could not hold it in any longer and broke out laughing, they all turned to look at him and it didn’t help. He looked at them and said, “What did you think she was going to do? Ballet? This is May for crying out loud.” He looked at her with adoring eyes but in his mind he heard,

‘You are so going to pay for that.’

She turned and walked out of the room purposefully wiggling her hips and making Coulson extremely uncomfortable, he knew that he would not be moving from behind his desk especially when those three were in the room.

After they could move a limb or two they crawled to their own bunks, have a warm shower and try to regain the ability to walk. 

May found it hilarious and just sat in the kitchen having cup of herbal tea until they came down to have their strategy meeting. She was in a world of her own when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and a hot, sensual pair of lips on her neck setting her pulse racing and set a trail of fire down her spine. She tilted her head back and it rested on his shoulder, she placed her cup on the side and gripped it as though her life depend on it when his hands moved down her waist towards her thighs a particular destination in the feeler’s mind.

Both were too absorbed in what they were doing that they did not see Skye come around the corner, “Oh! Please, please, MOM! DAD! Get a room for the weekend please, I am going to need therapy by the time you’ve done. If it was Fitzsimmons they would be on the floor by now, dear god!”

The pair reluctantly pulled apart but at least had the decency to look embarrassed but Phil thought that May was extremely cute when pink tinted her cheeks, but May thought her tea was extremely interesting.

“Now, besides the horizontal mambo could you please advise us of our strategy, since May has just beat us, quite literally, into the ground.”

Fitzsimmons walked around the door oblivious to the little make out session Skye bore witnessed to and sat down waiting for instructions or to give ideas.

A flushed Coulson yanked at his collar, suddenly it had got incredibly hot for him, but he needed to go on or else he would kick himself for not being the leader that he knew he could be.

He spread out a sheet across the table showing a blueprint of the bunker they were going to enter.

“ Right, here is where May will go in. Make disable the CCTV in 10 seconds or so, or the only thing she will get hit by one of the hidden machine guns. We also release Huey, Duey, and Louie, so that we can see around the compound.” 

He looked at May concern on his face, all there appeared to be is her ‘game face’. 

“We will have to face finger print scanners, holograms and hidden traps but I have it on good authority that tomorrow the base should be empty. The staff will be surround by a glass pressured box, that will have a weight to be replaced or the place will blow. Finally, and I mean finally, NO ONE is to come in direct contact with this thing.”

“Why not AC, you’re the one that’s most at risk if we need to take then why do we not take it? If we are under attack cause something has gone wrong or we are too late why not grab it? I am just sug--”

“Skye, under no circumstances do you touch it! Do you hear me?” May looked at her and yet again there was a sudden outburst that she couldn’t explain but a fiery urge spread through her body and the need to protect her was overwhelming and the scary thing was, she had no idea why? It only ever came when she thought that Skye was going to be put in harms way, she HAD to protect her. 

She whipped around and looked at them, “Get your gear ready, we’ll be leaving in five hours.”

“Pack up.” Coulson said.

“Oh and May, when we get back, you’re having a medical and there is going to be no objections. You hear me?” The look on his face left no room for argument and she knew that she was in the dirt.


	6. I explain myself only to you and we go on together.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May is going to go barlistic about this but what does Phil do? why does he want this so much? will her angel always be there to catch her when she falls ?

May followed him into the office, the other three could literally see steam coming out of her ears and knew that if they stood near enough whilst packing the gear, they would be able to hear some of what was being said.

Skye was dragging the mats from the gym to underneath the balcony outside Coulson’s office.

“What on earth are you doing Skye?” Jemma looked at her, slightly bemused by hear actions.

“Well, May looked as pissed as I have ever seen her and I was thinking that Coulson would need something to land on if she threw him over…!”

Fitzsimmons looked at her as though she had gone mad.

“What…? You got to admit she did looked pretty pissed and I am just looking out for AC.”

A split second after Coulson let go of the handle, the office door flung open leaving an dent in the wall. In walked the most furious thing he had ever seen and he knew that a bust up was going to happen, he turned around and planted his hands palms down the desk a defensive stance and ready to fight for what he believed he had to do.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING? AN EXAMINATION? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK IS WRONG WITH ME? HOW DARE YOU ORDER ME TO HAVE AN EXAMINATION?”

May slammed her hands on the desk in front of Phil, he didn’t flinch but deep inside he knew that she could cause him physical harm and no one would be able to prove a thing, he stood back but still did not remove his hands from the desk.

In a voice that would have most quivering in fear, especially those who knew Phil Coulson, the agent and the man would run and very fast, he looked her dead in the eye and said the words that had her stopping in her tracks.

“I’m protecting the woman that I love with all my heart, my reason for being and who I would crawl to the ends of the earth for and the woman that for some reason, is falling to pieces in front of my eyes. Reasons that I am not willing to let slide any further, because I don’t want her to come close to being like I was. I can’t and won’t let that happen.”

He walked round the desk wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her in so their foreheads were touching, breathes mingling and drowning in the emotions of each others eyes in an intimate gesture and he whispered, “I’ll die before I let that happen, you hear me? I will die.”

Tears were streaming down her face, no holding back, they flowed like Niagara Falls. 

He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his aura of protection and love. He let her cry he knew that something was happening but he didn’t know what, the only time he had seen a reaction greater than this was with him but something about her and Skye were setting her emotions and breaking her at the same. It was now his job to do what she had been doing for him all this time since he had been brought back: protect her.

Down where the trio were packing up Skye looked awe stricken and dropped to the floor, how could she? How could she do that to May and Phil? She was causing so much mess and destruction like she did in the orphanages, why would they want her? Her 0-8-4 alien status? She was affecting people and not even knowing that she was doing this.

She grabbed her back pack and started walking to the hanger but she barely got five steps before she saw May stood there, they could tell that she had been crying but no one was stupid enough to say anything…well not if they wanted to live. 

“Skye, how good of you to take the lead, but wait for the others.” She went to grab the backpack and turned, “If you even think of leaving or running or entertaining any of the stupid notions that were in that head of yours, remember this…I will hunt you down.” 

Skye knew from the look on her face that she was deadly serious and soon all thoughts of leaving were quickly extinguished by the protective look written all over May’s face.

Coulson walked down the steps completely missing the little interlude that he had witnessed and completely unaware that Skye had almost left the team, if it wasn’t for his Queen on the prowl.

“Everyone, get in the truck, night has fallen. We should have a better chance of not being seen by the CCTV. May, you are not driving. I am.” 

May gave him a look, which clearly indicated ‘You suck.’  

May knew she was a damn good pilot and just because she blew the clutch on a car once in a high speed chase didn’t mean that she was going to blow every car that they passed, but she knew in this instance not argue cause Coulson was already in the drivers seat.

It took them two hours under the cloak of darkness before he killed the lights of the truck and they crept up the parameter of the compound, which in the darkness had an aura of death and destruction and it was that feeling that seeped into the very crevice of one’s soul.

They got out of the car and May pulled her hair into a tight bun, she did not want anything catching or waving into the sensors of the CCTV. 

She put the night vision goggles on and saw what they hadn’t been made aware of previously: Lasers. They were covering the entire floor and if she touched them there would be nothing left of her. 

She scaled the top of the fence and on top the branches of the trees, Coulson and the others were watching this amazing woman with baited breath, they knew that there was no one like her. 

She walked with skill and ease to the end of the branch and somersaulted onto the roof of the building, but when she attempted to land a slate slipped causing her to fall her back and her foot gave way. 

Coulson’s heart jumped to his throat, he needed her to trip the CCTV and cut whatever was on the floor, or he knew that he couldn’t save her. 

She slithered across the roof and ripped out the wires of the CCTV, but lost her balance and slid off the ends of the roof, gripping for dear life, from the drop below.

Coulson stopped breathing, he was sure of it. He had to act now; in a heartbeat he ripped of his jacket and threw it onto the floor, praying that all the lasers had been deactivated to give him a clear path. 

Nothing happened so he set off at the speed of light to the entrance of the building and to catch May.

“You guys check the rest of the compound now, we need clear access!” his voice carried and he saw her tiny form hanging on by her fingertips, nails breaking with the force of holding her weight and literally clinging on for dear life, but no more as she slipped and let go praying that her man would be waiting for her at the bottom.

Could he reach her before she landed on the ground, to her possible death or at least, serious injury?


	7. Will you catch me wherever I fall?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil promised to always be there but will he be this time ? who else will try to make sure that she does fall?

Time stood still for Coulson, he felt that was running and running but he was not fast enough, he knew that she had already injured her ankle and if she attempted to land on it she would break it in two, he’d put his life on it.

She tried desperately to right herself and at least fall with some grace or attempt a safe landing but all she could was grasp uselessly at the air and drop like a stone to the unforgiving floor below. 

Luckily, the compound was just two stories high and she prayed that this was enough for Phil or someone to run and help cushion her fall.

Phil could see everything happen in slow motion, his heart was in this throat as he knew that he couldn’t run fast enough to catch her as she fell, so he did what he thought was the best idea and slid across the floor. He could feel the gravel tearing at his trousers and slashing his skin to shreds but he could feel the momentum was on his side.  He might just make it…

With milliseconds to spare he slid to a halt, his knees blooded, shredded and bruised but the most precious cargo in the world was in his arms as she slammed onto his knees, he yelped in pain as she landed on his legs and pulled the muscles in his arm.

He pulled her too him and she wrap her arms around his neck and breathed in his scent knowing that once again he had come through on his promise and saved her.

“I will always, ALWAYS catch you when you fall no matter where you are. Whatever seas I have to cross to get you, I will always catch you my love.”

She could cry right now, weep with joy and relief that once again they had escaped the clutches of death and lived to fight another day.

“Come on darling, we need to get moving before the timers run out and alert the guards that we’re here. Can you walk? Don’t do too much, listen to me and for gods sake don’t try to fight anyone or you will break your foot and be on permanent leave for the next 6 months. Got it?”

May looked at him and whispered the words that he long to hear, “I promise to try and stay safe but only fight if I really have to.” She pecked him on the lips but the moment was broken when Skye, Simmons and Fitz came running down the path to the injured duo.

“MAY! COULSON! Are you ok? Are you alright?” Skye set off.

“Sir, May let me look at--” Jemma was looking at May’s foot.

“Sir, Huey, Duey and--” Fitz was about to set off into a scientific explanation but Phil could not hear all three at once.

“Guys for the love of all that is holy, can you speak one at a time, please!” Coulson had still yet to release May from his grip, it felt like her life was in his hands and he didn’t want to let her go.

“I need to check you both over before we carry on.” Jemma said firmly. “Sir, it would be negligent of me to allow you to continue without looking at your injuries first.” Jemma was just about to use the word ‘protocol’ and that set May off.

“Simmons, I’ve been shot, stabbed and tortured for a long time, now you’re not checking me over until we get back to base. Do you hear?”

She got up and if it wasn’t for the limp in her step no one would know that she had been injured, she put her hand out and waited for Phil to grab it and help himself up. She looked at his bloodied, mucky and tattered knees and knew that they would sting for a few days but she looked into his eyes and conveyed the message: ‘I love you’ and ‘We’ll be ok’. 

They looked at the others and backed off into the positions they had arranged pre mission and watched as Fitz’s new drones; Huey, Duey and Louie set off to surround the compound and ensure they had a complete picture of the situation.

Phil turned around and said, “Fitz, you’re with us, we need your scientific knowledge to help us handle the staff. Please follow behind us but under no circumstances do you engage in a fight or touch the staff unless ordered to do so. You understand?”

“Sir.” Fitz nodded his head but looked at the others in fear for he was the one that was usually left on the sidelines, but in this instance he was the most qualified to do the job. 

They entered through the door and saw that it split into two corridors and knew that they would have to split up to get this done but the question was who would take Fitz? 

May looked at Coulson and knew what message she was saying and he knew that he would be the one to take Fitz because even with a damaged foot she was still a more formidable opponent than Phil could ever be, but that didn’t stop the fear that slowly seeped into his heart.

He watched her go down the hallway and sent a silent plea to whoever was out there to watch over his angel and bring her safely home to him, for she would be Mrs Coulson, even if it were his last breath and words he ever said.

“Come on Fitz, we need to get moving.” 

They couldn’t tell how long they’d been travelling down the corridor for, but from out of nowhere a shape flew out of the wall and rammed into Fitz, he slammed into the opposing wall and crumpled to the ground an unconscious heap on the floor.

Coulson whipped around and in the nick of time he ducked as an arm slammed into the wall where his head would’ve been. 

He dropped to his knees and hissed in pain as the gravel seeped in the cuts that he had sustained like salt in a wound, but he was more concerned about whatever it was that attacked them.

He saw a black face and a pair of bright blue eyes came down to his eye level and whisper words that made his blood run cold.

“Now you have a choice, you can stay and save this boy or you can run after me and watch as I take down ‘The Calvary’. You will not touch the staff, I have been assigned to protect it, and that’s what I will do. Now, it’s your choice: him or her and you have five minutes to decide.”

The mysterious figure set off running to the entrance in hot pursuit of an unsuspecting Melinda May. Phil looked down at the crumpled body of the young scientist and knew he had five minutes to get to the entrance call for help and run to stop this figure.

One question remains to be asked, how the hell did they know the team were coming since the mission was drawn up yesterday? 

He needed to think long hard but his 1st priority was to get the staff and take it to where it could be contained securely.

May was silently pressed against the wall, not a sound was leaving her but she knew that she wasn’t alone and knew it wasn’t Phil, cause she would know his scent anywhere, so they were not alone.

She carried on down the corridor with gentle grace and poise of a panther, whilst waiting for the guest to make its appearance, she knew she had little to go on, but the staff was within reach and she was getting to it first.

If whoever it was wanted a fight, then she was more than happy to oblige, ‘let the games begin.’


	8. Will i be able to defeat myself?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something else is there with her ? but will she ever know what it is ? she told the others not to touch the staff but what happens when she does...?

Whatever it was had begun moving faster than May could with her injured ankle, she was running, bursting through the pain barrier the best she could, knowing that an open space would ease her chance of kicking the crap out of what is following her. 

She stopped, ‘Where was Phil? Was he safe? What about Fitz? She knew that she had to keep going and pray to any deity that would listen that it’ll keep her team safe whilst she dealt with whatever this being was.

**You should not be here, you trespass and now it stops**

May was looking around eager to find the source of the voice and make sure that she was not surround by more than two at most. She heard a body, with decades of training she could hear and feel when the dirt moved let alone someone else, but whatever it was had good grace she was really straining to hear or feel what was happening. She ducked into an alcove and waited, what felt like minutes passed and she could hear breathing coming closer. She reached out when the body passed, she was shocked when her hand passed through fresh air, as the body dissipated into nothing, like a ghost.

May gasped, not knowing what the hell was going on, but damn sure she was going to find out. She set off in pursuit of this body cause she needed to get to that staff before Phil did something stupid himself. 

She felt a hand on her shoulder and rammed the body into the wall, she whipped around and saw the surprised face of Phil Coulson. Heavily breathing she said, “What the hell are you doing? I could have killed you! There is something down here with us and when I tried to grab it nothing was there. Hang on, where is Fitz?” May looked behind him, hoping that Fitz was there.

“We were sidelined by someone in the other corridor and Fitz was rammed into the wall, he’s only unconscious I checked on before I left. I needed to come and see if you were ok.” He looked at her, his love for her shining as well as concern for her well-being.

They carried on down the corridor together, back to back as they had done a thousands times before, mission after mission having each others back. He could feel the heat coming from her body and knew more than anything in this world that she was going to be his the minute they got back to the base. 

He was fed up of going into the missions with no idea if they were going to come out alive or if he would ever say the words ‘Mrs Coulson’.

They saw the light at the end of the tunnel and could see the aura surrounding the staff but where was the figure?

“Phil, don’t you dare touch that staff, you hear me?” She loved him too much to see him harmed in any way. The Staff was too much of a risk for him to touch.

She took a buckle from her boot and threw it through the door to see what would happen. In the doorway appeared a six foot mean machine intent on blocking the path or causing destruction which ever came first. She turned around and cupped Phil’s face with her hand. “Remember whatever happens, I love you more than life itself.” 

Phil had no idea what she was going to do but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it. 

She turned around and ran towards the figure, pain shot through her ankle but she knew she had to ignore it and protect Phil. She jumped and landed on the figures shoulders, she pulled a knife out of its holder and rammed into the side of the unknown figures neck.

“Lets see you disappear from that, asshole.”

The figure started to flail and rammed into the wall with her on his shoulders, her head flung back and smashed against the wall instantly bringing blood to the surface. She saw stars but withdrew the knife and stuck into the jugular at the other side, she was surprised to see that it was a larger version of her. 

She saw the same chocolate brown eyes staring back at her and felt her heart stop. She was sure that her clones were all at S.H.I.E.L.D. and if this was the case, how many more had they mutated to bring out the beast in them? How could she protect them all against the broken remains of herself?

She could hear a voice in her head and footsteps that she would know any where.

‘Oh please dear god, let her be safe. I’ll do anything, give anything or be anything if she’s kept safe. Please I love her so much, I want my wife to be safe…please I will give anything.’

May’s eyes widened in shock at hearing what Phil said in his mind. He wanted her? To marry her? A woman so broken and tainted.

In her brief lapse of concentration, the bigger Melinda May grabbed her hair and threw her across the room, she crumpled in a heap against the wall but jumped straight back up. 

She knew that Phil was walking straight into the mayhem that was this fight, but she was powerless to stop it.

She launched herself against the other May and slit behind it’s knees, cutting the tendons and bringing the larger body down to eye level, it started to wail and scream as the blood seeped down the back of it’s leg. 

The muscle and tendons were hanging down and May jabbed the knife into the tendons and slammed it to the floor. If this thing really wanted to move then it would but it would be taking half of its leg with it, hopefully the blood would drain and it would die before they blew the place up.

Phil came into the door way and the relief shone on his face shone like a beacon of hope. She knew what he was thinking when he’d inadvertently broadcasted his hope and fears minutes earlier and then that when he asked, she was certainly going to say yes, but first she had a job to do.

She walked across the room and ripped part of her trouser leg, she wrapped it around her hand and went to grab the staff, but a rock hit her at the back of the head causing her to drop the cloth and place her hand on the staff itself.

She picked up a knife and threw it hitting the figure square between the eyes and watched the mutated clone slowly drop to the floor with a massive thud. 

“Phil we need to take that body with us, NOW!”

Before Phil had time to reply they both heard Jemma Simmons’ blood-curdling scream, “SSSKKKKKKKKYYYYYEEEEE!”

They had no idea what had happened but set off at break neck speed to get Fitz and see what was waiting outside.


	9. In my DNA there lies all the answers.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> one step closer to the answers but what is the price to pay...

May turned to look at Phil and what she saw made her heart stop, she was looking directly at a fully replicated copy of herself.

“Phil, move now!” Coulson looked over his shoulder and saw the cause for concern, but what was more concerning is that the replication hadn’t moved. Not a muscle, it just stood there as though it was awaiting instructions before it would move, May grabbed the staff with her hand and immediately the copy walked towards her. 

Phil went to stand in front of May but the copy rammed him out of the way and knocked him to his knees, May took a fighting stance and readied herself but nothing happened.

“What are you?”

“I follow the staff.”

“What?”

“I follow the staff.” That is the only thing that the May-copy seemed to know but one thing’s for sure, it had something to do with the staff. 

Why hadn’t it reacted with May? People had died, and currently something had happened to Skye and yet here she stood… She set off immediately the copy was in hot pursuit running through the corridors, like the waves on hell were on her tail, but the overwhelming need was to get to Skye. 

She burst through the door, wood crashing against the concrete walls and not once thinking that she could’ve set off the alarms, if not for that fact that she had disabled them earlier, that could have been costly. 

She saw Jemma hunched over Skye’s unconscious body and immediately she dropped to her knees and grabbed Skye, leaving a stunned Jemma Simmons in her wake, but she couldn’t find it in herself to give a damn.

Coulson and Fitz stormed through doors to witness the scene before them; there was Jemma and the May-copy stood hovering over the real May who had an unconscious Skye in her arms.

“Please don’t leave baby girl, I was meant to protect you. Please don’t leave baby girl, I was meant to protect you.” May whispered repeatedly.

Phil knew that if anyone else went to touch her right now she would tear their hand off, but he put a hand on her shoulder and whispered.

“Come on Melinda. We need to take her home. Let ME look after you for a change, we need to see what is wrong with Skye and what damage has been done. Please love, let me help you.”

May looked at him her eyes wide; emotion written across her but bowed her head in defeat. 

Along came Fitz and Jemma as they transported Skye back to the Bus with Phil driving with purpose but delicacy. Once they were back, Jemma immediately put Skye on life support taking five vials of her blood to immediately start testing for the problem but more importantly a cure.

May could do nothing but look in and feel the inexplicable feeling of fear and grief grip her fast beating heart but why? These feelings could be suppressed before but now they are outrunning her usual control, but first she needs to go and find out how the hell this staff replicated her entire being.

She turned around and walked straight into the Phil Coulson’s solid form, he grabbed hold of her, looked into her eyes and pulled her straight into a bone-crushing hug. He could feel her drawing from his strength and he would give it to her a thousand times and more, but for now he was just going to hold her until she told him what she needed. 

She looked up at him; those brown Bambi eyes held a world of hurt and Phil wished with all his heart that he could take that pain away. He cupped her face, pecked her lips.

“What’s wrong? What are you not telling me love?” He whispered.

She looked at him, her hands rubbing small circles at the bottom of his back and said, “I don’t know, but I do know Skye is somehow part of me. I know it sound ludicrous, but I have the overwhelming feeling to protect, care and love her above all the others. I don’t know why but I can tell when she is hurting, scared or lonely, but there’s no reason for this. When she first came onto this Bus, I had no idea of her existence, yet I feel like I have known her forever. Does that sound stupid?”

Phil looked at her an understanding smile written across his face and knew that something would lead them to the right answers. He took her hand in his wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked down to the lab in search of some much needed answers. 

Just before they got to the doors, Phil pushed May against the wall and kissed her with all the love and devotion that he had stored up inside of him, it wasn’t a kiss for sex, desperation or anything else, just a loving kiss that was meant to convey how much he loved everything about Melinda May. 

She moaned and grazed his neck with her fingernails that sent a pleasurable pulse down his spine causing him to lurch his hips forward in search of that heavenly goal.

“Behave woman, I was only trying to tell you how much I love you. Now I also want to tell you something else but that will have to wait.” He nipped her lips with affection and they carried on to the lab, Phil now slightly more uncomfortable than her.

As the doors parted they see Fitz and Simmons hard at work, Fitz has taken the staff careful apart and Simmons is inspecting the May-copy. Since they were attacked and May let go of the staff Phil has been watching her with the eagle eye, but nothing has happened thus far and the carbon copy of May hadn’t moved either. It seems as though who ever was creating copies of her only got so far and hadn’t quite worked out the personality aspect of it, I mean come on, you can get someone to look like Melinda May, but personality wise there will always only ever be one Melinda May. 

“It seems that the staff has a complete copy of your DNA encompassed in its material, someone has deliberately built this staff to steal power but also create stronger copies of you. Each time it does, the next copy is stronger than the last ultimately creating an army of well…. You!”

May looked stunned and couldn’t fathom how she hadn’t realised that someone had stolen her DNA but at least they have the staff now for it to be destroyed, or at least she hoped that S.H.I.E.L.D. would destroy it. 

“But how has this affected Skye? There has to be a link somewhere because the second that I touched the staff was when we heard you scream and now she isn’t waking up? No one has shot her, touched her, or been near her and yet she is unconscious, because of me!” May looked at Phil, desperation written across her face and he grabbed her hugging her close, neither caring nor caring that the others were in the room.

Phil looked at her directly in the eyes, “Now you listen to me, Skye is one of ours, I will not let anything happen to her and I will do everything that I can to make things right. You hear me?” 

She nodded but he could see that the tears were just about to fall anyway.

“Eh, not wanting to interrupt, but May could I please have some of your blood, hair and skin samples please. I want to compare you, to the staff and to Skye because there has to be some sort of link and the most obvious answer is genetics. Do you think that you’re in anyway related to her?” Jemma said that last part with trepidation and a tremor in her voice fearing that she would unleash the wrath of Melinda May, but much to her surprise she simply sat on the bench, looked at Phil and waited for Jemma to take what she needed.

Now they had some clue as to what was going on, they might be able to use the staff to reverse what it had done, but the first challenge is working out what it had done.

They knew that Simmons and Fitz had a long day ahead of them and knew they would only get in the way, so they left the lab to go and check on things more importantly on Skye.

Phil tugged on her hand and was guiding her towards his office, when they walked through the door a meal had already been prepared. 

May whipped around to look at him, “Phil, how can you think this would be romantic at this time? Are you for real?”

Phil guided her by the hand and sat her down, “Melinda, we have done all we can right now, let FitzSimmons do their stuff. You’ve not eaten since before we went on the mission and yes I checked. Now eat, before I tie you to the chair and force you.”

“Under any other circumstances I would invite that.” She smirked at him.

Breaking the tension they continued to eat until FitzSimmons summoned them, both praying in silent thoughts that an answer would lie in something as complicated as May’s DNA.


	10. My life, my soul and my protector.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May is falling apart and it is phil who has to be the strong one - but is there something that May has been hiding? Will Phil betray her and read her mind ?

The staff was placed in cryonic stasis, making sure that no one could touch and password protected, knowing that Skye was the only one that could hack it Phil was safe in the knowledge it was not going anywhere. He walked back up the stairs and heard the near silent weeping of a woman whose heart was breaking but he had no idea why. 

He walked silently across the hall and peered through the door that was ajar, seeing May curled up on the bed, her tear stained face pressed into the pillow he walked across the room, embraced her and let her cry her heart out.

He didn’t know what the connection was, all he knew was the woman he loved more than life itself was breaking in two, and he had no idea how to fix it, but he was praying that Fitzsimmons would perform a breakthrough.

Slowly after what seemed like hours the weeping stopped and she looked up at Phil and whispered words he never thought he would live to hear, “I think she is ours, I don’t know why Phil, but I swear that she is ours and we have to save her. I’ll give anything, Phil—”

** Beep Beep **

*** Sir, can you and May come down to the lab ***

“Well Melinda looks like that might come back to haunt you, we’ve been summoned down to the lab, lets hope that it is good news.”

He stood up and looked at her, even red eyes puffy and swollen lips he would still love her till her drew he last breath. They walked down to the lab both silent in hope and reeling from the fact that May had just told him they may have a daughter together and Skye could be her. 

He was desperately trying to work out how it had happened and why she had not said anything before now but first they need to see if they could save Skye first.

“Phil, can you stop trying to read my mind, it’s not fair to do that when you know I can’t tell.”

“How did you know?”

“I guessed, and your answer just proved what I was suspecting.”

“Sorry love, I’m just trying to help by letting you feel what I feel for you. See, it will help you, but I won’t do it if you don’t want me to.”

She turned to look at Phil and stared straight in his eyes, his heart shattered he saw the light had gone in her eyes and he was afraid that the Melinda May from Bahrain was coming back through and he couldn’t for one moment let that happen. He shoved her against the wall and cupped her face, “Listen to me, we will save her, I promise you we will save her and I’ll do whatever it takes but please, please don’t shut me out! Melinda, I love you and our daughter. Even if Skye is not biological—”

“Rose.”

“What….?”

“I called her Rose, but I thought she had died, that’s what I was told…!”

“By who, Melinda?”

“You have to understand, you were with Audrey, I had just come back and recovering from a mission that had nearly destroyed me. I nearly bled to death! I’d been tested on and beaten and I watched someone take a baby away. I still have no idea how the hell they have got hold of my DNA but I certainly can tell you, the world does not need a world full of me. I am unstable as it is, let a lone there being hundreds of me, can you imagine?”

“Oh Melinda, why didn’t you tell me before now? We could have found out long before now what the hell was going on and I could’ve done something…!”

They stood in the hallway in a warm but life affirming embrace, nothing but silence hung in the air and the heavy breathing of two people desperate for answers.

“Come on sweetheart, lets go and see what Jemma has to say and then maybe we can some digging of our own.” She smiled a meek smile, he tucked her head onto his shoulder and under his chin they walked together feeding off each other’s life.

Jemma had seen all of this from down in the lab but there was no way that she was going to intrude on a moment like this, not when she had the worst news to tell them about Skye. Jemma had been keeping track of Skye and her vitals but something was wrong, her organs were beginning to shut down and it was only through Jemma being a genius and with the help of Fitz that they were managing to prevent her life force leaving her body completely.

“Oh Fitz, what are we going to do? The only thing that I do know is that May, Skye and the staff are all connected and anytime that May is in the vicinity of Skye her vitals stabilise but the question is why…?”

What they had not realised was May and Coulson had walked into the room and heard every word including Skye’s organ failure. The colour had drained from May’s face and for once in Phil’s life he thought she was going to faint and all of a sudden May turned around and sprinted through the building like her life depended on it but it was not hers it was Skye’s. She skidded to a holt in front of the glass room, not even broken a sweat or dropped a breath but made faster. She watched through the glass as Skye begun to struggle to breathe, no air was getting into her lungs, even though they weren’t damaged and if it was not for the fact that she was unconscious.

May took off her jacket, down to her vest underneath and walked towards Skye, she could hear the gasps as Skye struggled to force the air into her lungs and the monitor controlling her heart was beeping out of control. 

She jumped up onto the bed and pulled Skye to her, embracing her as only a mother could and starting chanting, in one of the many languages Melinda May had in her arsenal. Her voice was breaking but she was resorting to test this theory hers. Was Skye’s hers? Had she been lied to and set up with the staff?

“Te amo meus puer pretiosus, animam meam, ut tua vi et ambules in terra semel,.”  
(My precious child I love you, use my life force as yours and walk the earth once more.)

The whole Bus began to flicker and down below the staff glowed orange, the sunset in a staff with life and death at its mercy to choose as it may.

Skye’s breathing began to ease and the heart rate returned to a steady beat, May continued to murmur the words in Skye’s ear, stroking her hair and holding her close.

The others just stood their feeling in small part a bit useless, but in complete awe of what was taking place, the air around her energised and returned to normal but there sat Skye’s protector and now they had to make the connection because May could not sit their forever but the question was how?


	11. My Psyche and I are one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ideas are coming thick and fast, as Jemma's genius IQ comes into action once more. Can Phil and May work together to put everything back to normal or will Skye be gone forever?

May was sat still holding Skye and listening to the steady beat of the machine ensuring that Skye’s heartbeat was returning to normal. May had decided there and then that she was not letting her go, whether she was her own flesh and blood or not, there was a connection between them, of that she was certain. 

Her job for now was to protect Skye and keep her alive, regardless of what the others would say, but in the middle of her internal debate she felt a set of arms embrace both her and Skye. She jumped slightly and turned her head staring into the bluest and most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, Phil Coulson, the psychic, the protector and the love of her life was standing behind her and Skye ensuring that they felt his aura of security and his love but also showing May that no matter he was going to be there, she need not torture herself any longer.

Phil knew that no matter what the outcome was, he didn’t want to spend another day without her in his life and if Skye turned out to the be theirs then so be it, they would grow together as a family but even she wasn’t he would make sure that they both knew they belonged there and that they were loved above anything else in the worlds they knew of.

Jemma and Fitz were watching the exchange and their minds were going a thousand miles on hour trying to work out the connection between the two females. Jemma was still waiting for the results of the DNA test, everything else had shown there was nothing distinctive that could connect the two females but she was damn sure that there was something. 

Suddenly she heard a murmur a voice that sounded like it was in the distance, but in her mind as well, she looked at Coulson and realised that he was not the one doing this or at least he wasn’t giving that impression. Unless May was hiding something she knew it could not be her as she had shown no signs of psychic abilities throughout the time they had been together.

May went to get up and the minute that she released Skye, the monitor set off beeping at rapid speed as though Skye could sense and actually tell that she was not near May. May immediately sat back touching Skye’s bare arm easing the beeping that was rapidly becoming louder each time. Jemma was consciously studying the effects that were taking place and knew right there and realised that she was looking at this completely the wrong way, if it wasn’t in the blood that it had to be in the psyche instead. 

Jemma was thinking hard and fast, she walked straight up to Coulson and pulled out a strand of his hair, “Ouch” Coulson looked at her as though she had lost her mind but she race to the machine in the lab and started a second DNA test. 

Within a space of five minutes the machine started going crazy as it returned its results and Jemma was one step closer to bringing Skye back around.

She ran through the doors with an idea in her head, praying that her genius IQ was correct. Jemma was having the feeling that Skye was psychologically attached to Coulson but biologically attached to May and that is why when they started to move away the heart monitor would start racing. Something in Skye was trapped and she was trying to tell them that she wasn’t gone but just lost and that she needed their help in order to get her out, but the question was how? 

Jemma was 100% sure that May and Coulson were her parents, the staff had done a number on Skye’s psyche and now they had to go and find her before her organs failed completely. It was feeding from her life and it was the contact with May that seem to be doing the trick and giving her the strength that she needs but May could only hold on for so long, so what do they do now?

She came upon the scene that would be forever engraved on her heart, Coulson, May and Skye were all sleeping embraced within each other spiritually and psychically aware that they were in close proximity of each other, but she knew that Skye could not hold on forever and something would have been done and soon.

‘Jemma what is the matter?’  Jemma’s eyes shot up from the floor and met Coulson’s.

‘You can talk to me this way if it something that you do not want people to hear.’ Coulson was using his psychic ability to communicate with Jemma, to ensure that May could hear what was being said.

‘Well sir, it seems that there is something wrong with Skye’s organs and psyche. Whatever May did with the staff it seems as though it is taking Skye’s life force, but the fact that she is touching May, is what is sustaining her for now because she is feeding off her, almost like an energy vampire. She also can sense that you are there, sir. She is reaching out to you and we need to go in and get her. First though, we need to think of a way to sustain Skye without her taking May with her.’

Coulson was looking at her and knew that they didn’t have long and he was thinking hard and fast, the sweat had beaded from his brow and his arm were going numb from holding May but she looked so beautiful and he would not move her if he didn’t have to.

‘What about the other Mays?’

“What, sir?”

‘Shhhhh’ she then realised that she had been talking out loud and said it again it her head.

‘What sir?’

‘What about the other Mays the staff had created? Would they be able to sustain her whilst May and I go and bring our daughter home?’

Jemma’s eyes widen as she realised that somehow Coulson knew, why she was surprised she didn’t know as between May and him, they knew everything that took place on the Bus.

‘Yes, they are an exact biological replica of her but they won’t sustain her for as long because they don’t have her personality and her will to fight, but in combination they would buy you 1 hour, maybe 2 at most to go and bring her home.’

‘May, May come on darling wake up…!’ May stirred and sleepily opened her eyes to see Phil and realised that something had happened.

He just looked at her, pecked her on the lips and whispered, ‘Lets go bring our daughter home.’


	12. In death or life, I’ll bring you home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They work out how things are finally connected and a plan is formed in an attempt to bring skye home, but what is the cost? will they have the happy family that they have all dreamed? or will life only bring one home?

May had hold of the staff and behind her stood her army, everyone looking just as perfect as she does but none had the fiery spirit nor the overpowering maternal instinct to protect what was hers.

She knew that her job was to watch over the physical being of Skye and ensure that each body touched at intervals to give their life force to ensure that Skye lived. If Phil, for whatever reason, couldn’t get out in time she would gladly be the last one to fall for Skye’s survival.

Phil knew he needed to enter Skye’s mind but he needed the staff with him, for it had taken her, they thought that it would bring her back

He was deep in thought when he heard a knock at the door.

In walked a very reserved and pensive looking Jemma Simmons, “Sir, I have a question for you?”

He knew what was coming and wondered how long it would take them to come up and ask, “Go on Jemma, tell me what you know.”

“Well, unless there are some others out there who are the exact replica of both you and Melinda May, then I can state with certainty that you are Skye’s parents. The question that I have is how? Why?”

“Jemma that is two questions but in answer to both of them, I don’t know. I have only just found out myself that I have a daughter, May and I was together in our academy days and for the first years into our mission days but then she had been captured. It was months before I saw her again but not once did I stop looking for her and in that absence, it turns out, she had a baby removed against her will. She was beaten and drugged, not knowing what day it was and she was told it had died, but as we now know that is far from the truth.”

‘Oh bless his heart,’ Jemma thought to herself, ‘he looks so broken. How do I tell him that he has an 6 hours? Anymore than that and even the real May won’t survive, leaving Skye to last on her own.’

“Jemma you do know that I can hear you, right? Or have you forgotten that your boss is a psychic and has just heard every word including the 6 hours part?”

Jemma blushed, she had indeed forgotten about that little detail and realised that he heard every word she had been thinking. 

“So I’ve got 6 hours to save my daughters life, does May know?” He was looking her dead in the eye and she knew lying was not even an option, “Well sir, I would say more 5 hours if you’re lucky.”   
His face dropped to the floor, elbows on the desk and his head in his hands and the sigh that came from his heart released into the air and she knew he was close to breaking, but he couldn’t just yet.

Suddenly his head shot up, “Can I separate my psyche/spirit from my body for a while without doing long term damage…?”

“Sir…?” Jemma was looking as though he had lost his mind for real and it had nothing to do with the GH325, ‘He has gone bonkers!’

“Jemma, I can still hear you! Jemma, I am being serious, if the Staff did this to Skye can it do the same to me?”

“JEMMA!!” Bellowed Coulson, because he knew she was not listening.

Jemma’s head shot up and gave the answer that would most likely cost her a beating from May, “I cannot say for certain but since it responds only to May, it seems the DNA would reject yours and head for the weakest part of your body which in this case would be your heart. So yes, there certainty that it would automatically stop your heart but—”

“Can you start it? Can you restart my heart…?”

Jemma looked him dead in the eyes, a singular tear rolled down her cheek as she sucked in breath to prevent from falling further, “I will give you every resource and piece of knowledge that we have access to, I will do everything I can to start your heart again, but I cannot, with the amount of damage it has sustained, guarantee it’ll work.”

“That will work for me, now the hard part—” Before he got chance to finish the sentence a loud booming voice was heard.

“OVER MY DEAD BODY, PHILLIP COULSON! I’LL KICK YOUR ASS!”

“Sir, it sounds like she already knows…” Jemma said as she dashed out of the room.

In walked the thunderous look of Melinda May, looking like she would smack him any minute if he uttered another word, “Please Melinda, just listen to me.” She grabbed him round the back of the head and smashed her lips into his, Phil’s hands immediately went to her hips and pulled their bodies together until nothing but fresh air could creep between their bodies. Emotions were running high and tears were free flowing, he could feel her pulse running a thousand miles a second against her throat as he scrapped his teeth and lips down to the juncture of her neck as he bit down. She moaned, but not the erotic moan of a lover but the painful sorrow of someone losing a piece of their heart and resigning to the fact that she had no choice. 

He looked back into her eyes, tears brimming ready to fall in a heartbeat if he let them, he cupped her face and looked her in the eyes pouring all the love and devotion that he could to let her know that everything was going to be alright if he could help it.

“Melinda May, remember this no matter what happens I love you, in this life or the next I will love you just as much as I did before. If I don’t make it, always let Skye know that she is loved and I will watch over you both.”

Tears were streaming down her face and his hands were wet with her salty tears but he wouldn’t change anything, not a goddamn thing. 

“You have to let me do this, we have less than 5 hours to save her and not enough time run scientific tests. This might not even work, but its our only shot, if I could do this some other way then in a heartbeat I would, please love, you have to let me do this.”

She looked down defeated, worried and heartbroken but knowing that he was right, she linked her arms around him and walked down the room where Skye was, surround by one hundred May’s each giving their life-force to Skye ensuring her existence, like human batteries.  
May picked up the Staff, holding it behind her back and looking at Phil imploring him to have another option but he stood resolute, she held out the Staff and waited with baited breath. Phil walked across the room kissed her again and whispered, “I love you.” 

He grabbed hold of the Staff and in the blink of an eye his body dropped to the floor like a stone, Jemma raced across the room and attempted to check his vitals. She looked up at May and shook her head sadly, May stood stock still because she knew if she moved she’d cry and breakdown. 

She stared at Phil Coulson’s lifeless body and waited as the longest 4 hours of her life began to play out, nothing could be heard but the sound of the machines as May said silent prayers, hoping with all her being that someone heard her plea.


	13. The fight, the soul and the new life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The price we pay for love and life, now all they can do is wait?

Coulson opened his eyes and realised he was not on the bus but he knew that he was not in danger; he could hear whispering in the wind guiding his soul towards Skye. He had no idea who or how had created the staff/May connection but knew that it needed to be destroyed, it was linked to May and everything that she held dear. They had not managed to work out who was the creator and that would take some time but right now he needed to walk through the bus. He realised that this wasn’t their normal bus but something trapped inside May’s mind, he needed to think like her and watch what was in his path.

He saw the smashed glass from the when she had a fight with Ward after being controlled by Loreli and blood was smattered across the floor but when he walked towards the glass, he walked into nothing as the room changed again. 

He saw when May went to escort Skye to her old van but was beaten and thrown to the wall and Skye was kidnapped by Mike Peterson who was juiced up to his eyeballs on centipede serum, but he saw the anguish and anger in May’s eyes.

Phil was having hard time focusing on what was going because on because no sooner had he walked forward the world would change again and he was fast running out of time.

Back in the normal world, May and Jemma were working fast through half of the clones and sweat was dripping down May’s back as she kept a heart rendering look on Coulson’s crumpled body, she wanted to cry drop to her knees and beg for the exchange instead and ensure that Skye and Coulson would live, but she had to faith in the Coulson and prayed that Jemma had the resources to bring him back to life.

Coulson saw Skye as a little girl in that orphanage, fighting for her existence, keeping the monsters at bay, but he knew the pain that he was feeling belonged solely to Melinda May. He could hear her thoughts as though they were his own.

‘God, I want to die, please, let me see my baby! God, I cant take another beating! Where was Coulson when I needed him? Does he still love me after losing our child?’ 

The pain that was searing through his head was powerful enough to drop him to his knees, but he could feel Skye and feel the pull that was drawing him to her like father to daughter. He would walk through broken glass to get what he wanted and bring his daughter home even if it costs him his life, he would do it without hesitation. 

 

When he walked through the door, which in normal circumstances would be the Playground, it looked like a war zone, screens were smashed and fire burnt so bright that it nearly blinded him, but he hoped it was not real because if he tried to walk through this then he would be scarred for life.

It seem as though the Staff had created the images from May’s memory and conscience, every mistake or bad decision that she felt she had made was now created as on obstacle in his path to Skye, being taken from her biggest regrets in life. Someone has worked out the attachment to May and Phil and used them both to bring this to a conclusion and drop them to their knees in a way that they could not come back.

He heard a crack behind him and he whipped around to see Melinda May, or more likely Melinda May as she saw herself. She had bloodied scars peppering her body, her vest was torn and muck was all over as though she had fought in the dirt, which in some circumstances she had. He could see the stab wound that the Italian Chief had given her during the train heist in the Italian countryside and her eyes were devoid of emotion.

“Melinda.”

Neither a word nor a sign of any recognition registered within May’s mind. 

“Melinda, please. It’s me, it’s Phil.”

Nothing, the penny dropped in his mind, he knew that May saw herself, as a monster unworthy of love, even though the only love that she wanted she had. He saw the void in her eyes as the emotions had destroyed her soul and that she should’ve done more to protect him and Skye.

“Please AC, come for me. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

“Please AC, come for me. Don’t you love me?”

“Behave, whoever the fuck is out there, behave.” Phil looked at May and tried to read inside her mind but before he had chance to penetrate her mind she launched at him, with a round house kick to the solar plexus which had doubled Coulson over. 

Coulson saw Skye in the corner surrounded by May’s, she was cowering in fear and she was pale and weak, the life force being drawn by the staff and feeding the army of May’s to make them stronger and faster.

His main aim was to break the staff without being killed in the process.

“Why doesn’t anyone love me? Am I that bad? Is there something wrong with me? Why does no one love me?”

 

Coulson looked straight into Skye’s eyes and sent a look of love and devotion, he wanted Skye to feel all the love that he had for before he knew she was his daughter and especially now he knew that she was biological his. 

He watched the light returning to her eyes but a pain ripped through his chest, he looked down to see a knife sticking out of his chest the exact same one that the chief had used to stab May. He knew that his heart could not take as much of a beating as before.

The problem was beginning to escalate in the ‘real world’ as May had used the last clone to sustain Skye and knew that time had come for her to do the jobs the clone couldn’t do. Jemma’s eyes were pleading as she watched the GH325 and the staff suck life out of Skye at a rapid rate, their remaining time was 10 minutes at best and May stripped off her top standing there in her bra she grabbed hold of Skye and pulled her to her chest. May felt the life rapidly being sucked out of her but would willingly sacrifice herself if her daughter got to live the life that she so richly deserved.

‘Please, Phil bring our daughter home. Remember that no matter what I love you.” Tears began to run down her face and she tried to calm her breathing because this would increase the blood flow and use the oxygen a lot quicker.

Phil had dropped to his knees as the blood began to quickly pour out of the wound, he’d heard the message in his mind, ‘Please Phil, bring our daughter home. Remember that no matter what, I love you.” 

In the blink of an eye, he stood up and pulled the knife out of his chest and threw it directly at one of the May’s and hit her between the eyes. His heart tore in two at the thought of causing her any harm but he needed to repeat to himself, ‘She’s not my May, I’m going to take our daughter home.’

In the commotion, he grabbed hold of Skye and ran towards the ramp of the Bus, he knew they had no parachute but prayed that his hunch was right and the real May would know to break the staff before the fall.

May was on her knee’s, Skye in her grasp and flailing as the light was growing dim, she looked at Jemma and knew the staff was the cause of their problems. 

“How long does Skye have if I let her go?” Melinda asked Jemma.

“5 minutes at best and then her heart will stop beating. Coulson has 4 minutes before his heart isn’t going to start again. I have made a serum from the GH325 and hope a jab to the heart will save but you don’t have long.”

May placed Skye on the ground and crawled towards the staff, she as on her hands and knees the fatigue dragging her down but she tried, she really did. With her last reserves of energy she stood and grabbed the staff and with a final swing she smashed it against the window, the staff broke in half and the room exploded with glass. May crumpled to the ground and the world went black.

Skye moaned a long drawn out moan, she felt like she had been hit by a bus and she opened her eyes wondering why she was on the floor and so weak but her concern was for that of Coulson who was bleeding from a stab wound to the chest.

“Jemma, Jemma FOR GOD SAKE, JEMMA!!” 

Jemma’s head shot up as she heard Skye calling her name and bent over Coulson’s body, she raced towards him and jabbed the syringe into his heart and watched the blue serum enter into his body.

“OOOhhhhhh god, I’m going to die.” May was stirring, she attempted to pull herself up onto the bed but dropped back to her knee’s too weak to do anything other than just lay there.

“You’d almost died May, please just stay where you are.” Jemma pleaded.

Time passed and nothing happened, Phil was not stirring, not a murmur out of him and Jemma knew that her thirty minutes to keep him alive was fast running out. 

Skye crawled over to his body, ‘Please AC, you can’t leave me; you hear me, read my thoughts and come home. Please AC, I need you. Please don’t let go.”

Skye began to beat down on his chest with force that she could must, tears streaming down her face, sorrow running through her heart and energy fast draining from her body.

No one could do anything but watch as Skye reined down the blows and the screams of sorrow filled the room.


	14. Bringing her home and start our life once more.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can they save him? Can they save each other and will there ever be a happily ever after.

May’s heart shattered in her chest as she looked at the scene before her, the only man she had ever loved was lying dead on the floor with Skye, his biological daughter pleading for him to wake up and that everything would be alright if he’d just open his eyes.

May walked across the room and put her hands on Skye’s shoulders lifting her to her feet, Skye whipped around and started a relentless assault on May.

“How could you? Why did you let him do this? What right do you think you have to touch me? … I…!” Before Skye would finish the sentence, May had her pinned to the wall, her voice low and extremely dangerous.

“What right, what right do I have…? The right I have is that of an S.O. but more importantly as a mother. That’s the right that I have and there laying on the ground is the man I love. Now would you like to argue with me about what rights I have?” May was pale and tired but the fire still burning bright in her eyes with all that she had left, Skye stood there colour drained from her face and whispered the only thing she could think of.

“Mom…?” she held out her hand and touched May’s face the tears beginning to fall as she threw herself into May’s arms.

“Uh hum.” They both parted and look away towards Jemma, “Sorry to interrupt but by my reckoning we have about 5 minutes until Agent Coulson’s body will start to shut down, as touching as this is and believe me, I am happy that it is coming out, but can we please sort this out first?” Jemma was firm but hesitant as anyone who should be facing off a tired Melinda May.

May thought for a second and knew the staff responded to her and wondered if Skye responded to her would Coulson’s body do the same? But a little something from Skye would not hurt, as an added incentive for Coulson to respond. She walked over to Jemma, “Give me a syringe, I need some of Skye‘s blood!”

“WHAT?!”

“Look you are the only person who is A) the same blood group and B) the only person who has not had an adverse reaction to the alien serum, I am hoping that with the staff if I can control it even when broken and the DNA in your blood might help Coulson, but I have 3 minutes, so decide quickly.”

Skye’s arm shot out without any hesitation and May gently plunged the syringe into her arm and drew a tiny amount of blood to put into the open wound hoping the healing qualities of his daughter and GH325 would repair the damage the knife had made.

May grabbed hold of the staff, and walked towards Phil, she looked at Jemma. “One minute.”

May nodded and watched the blood droplets enter the opening wound and began to murmur in one of the many languages she knew, one of many tongues praying to all that she knew, “Vivificare, Da robur, spem et ducite.” (Give life, give strength, give hope and bring him home), repeating it over and over again as the seconds slowly slipped away. Within the last ten seconds of Coulson’s life, May raised the staff and jammed it into the room emitting a high pitch wail as she thought the end was near.

The seconds that followed were the slowest in her entire life as she waited and she watched for a sign or a flicker that Coulson was here but nothing…until Coulson’s eyes flicked open and he shot forward desperately trying to give his lungs the oxygen that they so desperately needed. The silence was broken as he gulps for air filled the room and May clung to him letting him take whatever he needed from her, she turned to Jemma.

“Get ready Jemma, I am bringing him to the lab to be stitched up. With the blood pumping through his body I do not have much time…NOW GO!!”

She watched as Jemma raced out of the room dragging Fitz along with her, she knew this would be a two-man job and she wouldn’t have anyone else by her side other than Fitz.

“Skye, over here quickly!” Skye snapped out of her nightmare and raced over to support Coulson as they dragged his weakened body down to the lab where FitzSimmons were waiting anxiously.

They placed him on the table and were shoved out of the room by Jemma, who knew that if she kept them there they would only get in her way, especially Skye.

They watched the doors slide shut and then there was nothing but the silence until Skye turned to look at May flinging herself into her mothers arms. The tears fell; she looked up at May, “Is he…?” 

The silent question hung in the air and May could do nothing but nod as Skye’s tears continued to fall and screams tore from her chest as she knew her father was on the other side of that door.

May held her until she wore herself out and fell asleep on her shoulder; May placed her on the couch and went to retrieve the staff. She knew that this needed to be destroyed so another army could not be created, she retrieved some fluoroantimonic acid, the strongest acid that she knew of, and hoped that it would penetrate the core of the staff and allow her to set fire to it. 

She placed it in the middle of the room and used a dropper to slowly drip the liquid across the broken pieces, hissing filled the air emitting a strong odour but as long as it worked she didn’t care. She struck a match and threw it into the bowl and watched the flames rise like a phoenix from the ashes and it blacken the staff before it.

She knew that there was no May Clones on the Bus as they had used them to keep Skye alive, now all they could do was wait, and hope that between them they had done enough to save them all.

She slowly returned to Skye, the heavy weight upon her heart but Skye wasn’t there. Fear gripped her before the doors slowly opened to reveal Phil Coulson in once piece sitting up as though nothing had happened; he was sporting another scar but a smile and arms full of his daughter.

May looked at Jemma and asking in a silent question, “What did you do?”   
Jemma looked at her shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head, “I did nothing, I was about to start stitching when the wound began to heal itself. I can’t say if it’s GH325, Skye or the Staff or a combination of all of them. All I know is that he is fit and healthy as he was before with no traces other than the scars, I’ve triple checked him over before you came.

Skye finally released Coulson looking at him and stroking his face, ‘Dad, father, pops…what do I call him?’ She was having an internal conversation when a voice broke the room. “Dad sounds just fine to me, but if you prefer any of the others coming from you, I like them all.”

Skye’s head shot up her eyes brimming with tears but a smile on her face that could light the stratosphere, she turned to look at May who stood stock still at the foot of the bed. Skye gestured to May to come closer and pulled her into a hug, May was rigid at first but soon raised her arms and stroked her hair, for the first time she could hold her own child, free from pain, horror or threat. She felt another hand rub her back and saw Phil was embracing them both; the three stood there, a family once more.

Skye was in her room a few hours later staring at a photograph of them all and wondering what the hell had happened, she had gone from knowing nothing of her past to finding her Mom and Dad all in one go, to say she had a headache was an understatement. 

She slowly drifted off into an exhausted sleep as the weight of the recent events lifted from her and she realised that for just a short while she was safe and for once, with family. She drifted off with a smile on her face and love in her heart, knowing that for sure she was loved.

May walked Coulson to his office/bedroom room on the Bus and was just about to turn around and go back to her designated bunk when a hand shot out grabbing her wrist. May looked straight into Phil’s eyes questioning his motive, “No, it is not sex this time,” Coulson said with a boyish smirk on his face, “There is no way that my future wife and mother to our child is EVER sleeping in another bed except ours again.” He cupped her face and kissed her sweetly on the lips conveying love, life and happiness till they drew their last breath.

He slowly ended the kiss and looked into her eyes, forehead pressing against hers and breathing each other’s air. He grabbed hold of her hand and tugged her inside their room, they had already checked on Skye, ensuring she was having a restful sleep given the circumstances and now it was their turn to lock out the world just for a little while. 

Phil climbed into bed and embraced Melinda May, protecting her and embracing her in a world of safety and smell that was just him.

“Oh, and by the way, the wedding’s tomorrow.” May shot up and looked at him. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” 

“Nope, Jemma is setting things up as we speak.” He sat up and looked at her cupping her face, “I love you with all that I am and all that I can be. I don’t want to spend another day without you in our bed or as my wife. I love you so much and will do anything to keep you safe, please will you marry me tomorrow?”

May had tears in her eyes but the biggest smile up her face, she leant forward and kissed Phil with everything she had. 

They lay back down together and Phil was just on the verge of dropping off to sleep when he heard the sweetest word he would ever hear in his life.

In the silence of the night, she said the one word and carried it to his heart, “Yes.”

Their new life would never be boring, there will be ups and downs, but what they did know is anything that came their way, it would be faced together as a family, by blood and non blood.

Together.


End file.
